Vertical kiln, furnace, and the like



April 23, 1940. Q E PR|E$T 2,197,984

VERTICAL KILN, FURNACE, AND THE LIKE Filed March 25, 1939 INVENTOR'. CHHRLES FREDERICK PR|E$T HTToRNay Patented Apr. 23, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VERTICAL KILN, FURNACE, AND THE LIKE Charles Frederick Priest, Middlesbrough; England Application March 25, 1939, Serial No. 264,272 In Great Britain April 1, 1938 2 Claims.

This invention relates to vertical kilns, furnaces, and the like, partic-ularly'to the means for admitting air for supporting combustion, the object being to provide improvements therein.

According to this invention means for admitting air to a vertical kiln, furnace, or the like comprise a conical discharging hopper at the bottom of the kiln, furnace, or the like, and an annular series of ports disposed in the wall of the said hopper. The ports may be damper controlled. The inner ends of the ports may be directed downwardly so that material descending the hopper will not pass through said ports.

For convenience, kilns, furnaces, and the like will be hereinafter referred to as kilns.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of one form of apparatus constructed. in accordance with this invention.

Figs. 2 and 3 are quarter sectional plan views, taken on a line corresponding to line A-A of Fig. 1, and showing the ports open and closed, respectively.

Figs. 4 and 5 are similar views to Figs. 2 and 3, but showing a modified arrangement of dampers for the ports.

In Figs. 1, 2, and 3, a discharging hopper at the bottom of a kiln is formed of two hollow inverted frusto conical members a and b, one member a being disposed above the other member b, the smaller lower end c of the top member a being disposed within the larger upper end at of the bottom member b so as to leave an annular space between said ends. This annular space is occupied and closed by a metal or brickwork annulus e, the bottom face 9 of the annulus being preferably in alignment with the inner bottom end 0 of the top conical hopper member a, the upper face J of the annulus being preferably in alignment with the outer top end at of the bottom conical hopper member b, and. the two said faces I, g of the annulus preferably forming right angles with the walls of the hoppermembers a, b, the wall of one hopper member being preferably parallel to the wall of the other hopper member.

A series of passages h, preferably annularly spaced, are formed in the annulus e, the axes of the passages h being preferably parallel to the walls of the hopper members a, b, the lower ends i of the passages being open and the upper ends 9' being closed by dampers 7c. Separate dampers k are provided for each passage h, and they are separately operated. The dampers 7c are of the sliding type, and they slide circumierentially relative to the vertical axis of the kiln in a track m. The dampers k may, however, be adapted to slide radially of the kiln.

In the modified. form shown in Figs. 4 and 5,

a single damper n, formed of an annular plate having orifices p to correspond with each passage h, is mounted in a track in the upper face ,7 of the annulus e and is adapted to be rotated around the vertical axis of the kiln so that all the 5 passages h are opened or closed simultaneously, the open position being shown in Fig. 4, and the closed position in. Fig. 5.

Air is admitted to the kiln through the passages h in the annulus e and it rises through the 10 burden in the discharging hopper and the body of the kiln to the point where it meets the gas.

It. will be seen that the lower ends 2' of all the air inlet passages 'h are directed downwardly and are disposed outside the lower end 0 of the top 15 conical hopper member a, and are consequently shielded from the burden by the said lower end of the said hopper member. An unobstructed entry for the air is thereby provided, and the passages It will not become choked.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Means for admitting air to a vertical kiln or the like, comprising a pair of open-ended hollow inverted frusto-conical members disposed one 25 above the other and forming a conical discharging hopper, the lower end of the upper member being of smaller diameter than the upper end of the lower member and disposed within said upper end thereby to form an annular 5- space between said members, an annulus disposed in said space and provided with a series of openings forming air ports extending parallel with the hopper members, the lower ends of said ports beingdisposed within the lower hopper member 35 and outside of the line of discharge from the upper member, the upper ends of said ports being open to the atmosphere outside of the hopper.

2. Means for admitting air to a vertical kiln 4 or the like, comprising a pair of open-ended 1101- Y low inverted irusto-conical members disposed one above the other and forming a conical discharging hopper, the lower end of the upper member being of smaller diameter than the up- 45 per end of the lower member and disposed within said upper end thereby to form an annular space between said members, an annulus disposed in said space and provided with a series of openings forming air ports extending parallel with 50 the hopper members, the lower ends of said ports being disposed within the lower hopper member and outside of the line of discharge from' the upper member, the upper ends of said ports being open to the atmosphere outside of the hopper, and means for controlling the admission of air to said ports. 2-

1 CHARLES- FREDERICK PRIEST. 

